What is willpower?
Willpower is the ability to control your own thoughts and the way you behave. Such as being able to control the urge to eat junk foods or go to the gym even when you don’t feel like it.
Importance of willpower
Wouldn’t it be nice if we had the ability to control our willpower so that we could use it to stop procrastinating(my lifelong wish)? Eat more healthy foods, save and invest for retirement and achieve all sorts of grand goals that we have.
A survey was done by the American Psychological Association before New Year’s Eve. Many people believed that if they could increase willpower then they would be able to make positive changes in their lives.
The lack of willpower was the main reason why it was restricting them from achieving their goals.
Watch the video below to have a rough estimate of how strong your willpower is.
Studies
The Stanford marshmallow experiment was a study on delayed gratification in 1972 led by psychologist Walter Mischel, a professor at Stanford University.
Angela Duckworth and Martin Seligman both PhDs psychologists gave questionnaires to eighth-graders and also their parents and teachers to find out how high the students’ self-control was.
Also when the students completed their questionnaires they were given the option to receive $1 immediately or wait a week to receive $2.
They found that those with better grades and better school attendance were students with higher self-control and were more likely to be admitted to a competitive high school program.
In fact, the researchers found, that self-control was more important than IQ in predicting academic success.
Further studies
The benefits of willpower also extended further from their college years. A long-term health study in Dunedin, New Zealand done by Terrie Moffitt, Ph.D., of Duke University, and his colleagues. On 1000 individuals who were tracked from birth till the age of 32.
What they found was those with high self-control in childhood grew into adults with greater physical and mental health. Fewer substance-abuse problems and criminal convictions, and better savings behavior and financial security.
Basically, the ability to delay gratification is important and can be translated in all sorts of ways in our daily lives. So does that mean those of us with low willpower are doomed?
Instant gratification
Nowadays with modern convenience, we can expect almost anything to be quick and easy. Ordering food, online shopping, entertainment, and even dating are easily accessible.
Although it isn’t really a bad thing that we are able to make use of such conveniences.
Yet relying on it too much will make us less patient, and develop poor habits and poor impulse control. We are so used to having our desires met so quickly, whenever there is a need to wait we get annoyed. Even when a video takes too much time to load we may even get angry.
We fail to manage stress and our stress management also decreases. Instant gratification can cause negative effects.
Higher stress levels, low willpower, bad habits, and bad health, and cause our minds to wander and have unwanted thoughts.
With delayed gratification, you will be able to increase your willpower as you value healthy habits more. You avoid temptation and create lasting positive results, which can mean stopping drinking and quitting smoking.
Can willpower be learned?
Definitely not, willpower is something that you are born with and thus its’ mystical power cannot be simply channelled, it depends on which horoscope you are and all you can do is sit around and pray for some miracle to happen…
Fortunately, psychological science has proven that this is not true. With certain strategies, you can always strengthen your willpower.
“You need to recognize when you’re making a choice that requires willpower; otherwise, the brain always defaults to what is easiest.” ― Kelly McGonigal
You know that life happens and there are times when you don’t “feel” like doing it. There is just so much to do, and on top of that, all these distractions are tempting us away from what we should really be doing. If only I had more willpower…
Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., Stanford University health psychologist, and lecturer. In her book “The Willpower Instinct” she shows and guides us on how self-control works, why it matters, and what you can do to get more of it.
Boost your willpower
Here are some methods you can put in place for high willpower
Brain foods
Feeding your brain the right foods. Focus on foods that will make your brain happy and increase your energy levels so that you can work on mentally tough tasks. Better brain power=Better willpower.
- Fatty Fish
- Berries
- Leafy green vegetables
- Coffee and Tea
- Nuts
Brain killer foods
Avoiding foods that are bad for your brain is just as important. Sugar is important and our brain is dependent on it but we also need to maintain our glucose levels. In order to do that we need to avoid or at the very least limit these sugary food and drinks.
- Soft drinks, energy drinks, and fruit juices(even fresh ones)
- Refined carbs such as white bread and pastries
- Frozen pies
- Chips, ice cream, and cereals
- Alcohol